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It is part of the
Adelaide Geosyncline. Despite early amateur theories that it was some
kind of ancient volcano, the Pound is sedimentary rock in the form of a
large
syncline, with the
fold axis running NNW-SSE through Edeowie Gorge at the northern end and Rawnsley Bluff at the southern
end. A corresponding
anticline
is located in the Moralana Gorge adjacent and parallel to the western side
of the Pound, with the
Elder Range further west. The Heysen Range and ABC Range peel off
northwards from the NE corner of the Pound. Although from the outside the Pound appears as a
single range of mountains, it is actually two: one on the western edge, and
one on the eastern, joined by the long Rawnsley's Bluff at the south. A
gorge called Wilpena Gap has been cut in the eastern range, and most of the
inside of the Pound drains into Wilpena Creek which exits through the Gap. A
small part of the high northern slopes of the Pound drains into Edeowie
Creek, which in time of flood creates many waterfalls in Edeowie Gorge. The highest peak in the
Flinders Ranges is
St
Mary Peak (1170m) on the east side of the Pound, while Pompey's Pillar
on the west side is 1165m. Rawnsley Bluff at the southern end
reaches 950 m. [Wikipedia] |
